This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Drop-down or retractable steps and running boards for vehicles are generally known, and are most commonly used for sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks, which sit relatively high off of the ground as compared to a typical passenger vehicle. Retractable steps move between a retracted position stowed adjacent to the vehicle frame or body and a deployed position extended for use away from the vehicle frame.
Typical retractable steps are activated for movement to the deployed position by a signal received by a vehicle's computer, wherein the signal is directly associated with a signal indicating that one or more of the doors are open, sometimes referred to as a “door ajar” signal. Each retractable step may be activated separately from one another, depending on which side of the vehicle a door has been opened. Similarly, some trucks are known to include retractable steps to provide access to a truck bed. These steps may also be controlled based on the door ajar signal, or may alternatively be controlled using a manual switch.
One problem that exists with current retractable steps occurs during installation, in that configuring the step to be actuated based on the door ajar signal in the vehicle computer is laborious and time consuming. Additionally, different vehicle assembly lines have different methodologies for identifying the vehicle's door ajar signal, which may change the way the retractable step is configured for actuation and installed on the vehicle.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a retractable step system which actuates when desired, independently from the door ajar signal, facilitates ease of installation and convenient of use, including hands-free operation.